Our Journey to Living Education

I was first introduced to Charlotte Mason in 2008 by my parents, who are good friends of Dr. Carroll and Andy Smith of the Charlotte Mason Institute. My parents had encouraged my husband and I to homeschool our daughter, who was at the time entering the 1st grade. Our daughter was our first child to enter public school, and at the time, I had no intention of leaving my job to stay home and teach my children. However, my daughter struggled through the first grade, and her second grade teacher affirmed what my parents had been saying all along, that we should seriously consider home education.

I attended the CMI conference in 2008 with the intention of homeschooling in the fall. That plan was put on hold for a year when we had our third child. I am grateful for that year of preparation, though, as it gave me time to begin to understand who Charlotte Mason was and how her philosophy of education was so very different from the model under which I had been educated and my child was being educated. And I’ve also come to see that there are many parents who are starting out in their homeschooling journey and have similar stories of taking their children out of public or private school and homeschooling them.

We began homeschooling in the fall of 2009. We used the book list from Ambleside Online and other websites such as Higher Up and Further In and Fisher Academy. We learned of great books from friends with years of experience using Charlotte Mason's philosophy and methodology.

In 2011, my husband was transferred to Lexington, Kentucky. We had no connections to Kentucky, no friends and no family there, and no knowledge of the homeschooling community or whether or not there were any Mason home schoolers in the area. As it turns out, the homeschooling community in Lexington is very large and very active. However, I joined a few local homeschooling email lists, and for four months sent out emails to ask if anyone was familiar with Charlotte Mason or used Mason’s methods. There was no response. We joined a local co-op that offered classes in physical education and musical instruments, but still something was missing: a community centered on Mason’s philosophy that education is an atmosphere, a discipline and a life.

This kind of community does not spring up overnight. It requires people. People who support, encourage, and work to make it a reality for our children. This website is an ongoing labor of love that I hope will encourage other parents to begin communities that exist to spread the feast of living books and ideas for children for many years to come. It will contain sample schedules, class ideas, resources and recommendations to make your community a reality. There is no sense in re-inventing the wheel. If what we have done to establish a community can help you to establish one of your own, then I will be thrilled! Please check back in from time to time for new developments, and please share with us what your community is doing so that we can learn from each other.

Jenn S.

This website is not affiliated with any particular institution or organization. This website is non-sectarian and privately published. Charlotte Mason's Philosophy of Education applies to all children, regardless of race, gender, religion, etc. This website is supported in part by purchases you may make through Amazon affiliate links. The content on this website, unless otherwise indicated, is the intellectual property of Jennifer Stec and may not be reproduced in print or electronically without permission. Thank you!